Part of an ongoing series about interesting, #socially responsible food companies.
What the company does: AccelFoods is an early-stage venture fund that invests in #innovative, sustainable, and high-quality packaged food and beverage companies.
How is the company socially responsible? Consumers are increasingly demanding cleaner and more transparent food products. AccelFoods (AF) aims to meet this demand by partnering with innovative packaged food and beverage companies in order to give them the tools they need to scale their businesses. With $90M under management and more than 30 companies in their portfolio, AccelFoods follows a three-pronged approach to investment: investing in people, investing in big ideas, and investing in challengers that push the boundaries of today’s food and beverage industry. (AccelFoods)
People
AccelFoods partners with entrepreneurs who prioritize doing things the right way. The companies they invest in go beyond making healthy and delicious products – they are sustainably sourced and empower local producers as much as possible.
Big Ideas
AccelFoods seeks businesses that have the potential and drive to change the foodscape. Whether they are pre-launch or already earning revenue, the brands that attract AccelFoods have business plans whose goal is to reach $100M in sales and beyond. In return, AF provides substantial capital – $250,000 to $3 million per deal, depending on the stage and scope of the company – and access to relationships with mentors, retailers and distributors, large food and beverage corporations, digital partners, and other service providers that would otherwise not be readily available to small companies. (AlleyWatch) (TechCrunch)
Challengers
AccelFoods invests in companies that challenge the status quo in the consumer packaged goods industry. Some of the companies in their portfolio include:
- Kidfresh: kid-friendly frozen meals with no artificial ingredients
- Mansi: calamansi (a citrus fruit grown in the Philippines) lemonade sourced from and squeezed by local farmers in the Philippines
- Koia: 100 percent plant-based protein drinks created without excess sugar, artificial ingredients or GMOs
- Harmless Harvest: organic coconut water that turns pink in the sunlight, a natural phenomenon that occurs when the varying level of antioxidants in the water interact with light. Coconuts are sourced from local farms in Thailand
- Nounós: the only major Greek yogurt brand that handcrafts its product in small batches using traditional methods, with no industrial machinery.
- Alpha Foods: plant-based, non-GMO meat substitutes
- Tractor: better-for-you alternatives to soda and other specialty drinks, made without excess sugar and sourced from local farmers and producers across the globe
Company origin:
While working with food manufacturers in the UK, future co-founder Lauren Jupiter noticed that the industry lacked investment capital for early-stage companies. Concurrently, her future business partner, Jordan Gaspar, was working as a corporate attorney before launching her own catering business. Gaspar drew inspiration from the growing number of #tech accelerators and suggested to Jupiter that they begin a similar program for the food and beverage sector. AccelFoods officially launched in 2014 after nine months of fundraising. (Bloomberg)
Latest “socially responsible” project:
In December 2018, AccelFoods led a funding round for ROAR Organic, a 100 percent natural line of vegan, low-calorie, low-sugar, electrolyte-infused beverages. The round earned ROAR Organic $5.6M in funds, which will be used to expand their team and promote product development. (Vegconomist)
Any upcoming notable projects or products:
On March 1 2019, AccelFoods announced the addition of new operating partners on their team who will provide their expert support and counsel to the companies in the AccelFoods portfolio. (BevNet)
Where to buy: Companies in the AccelFoods portfolio can be found in several stores, including Whole Foods Kroger’s, Target, and Walmart. (Company Portfolio)
Fact Sheet and Details
- Founding location: New York, New York (Bloomberg)
- Date founded: 2014 (Bloomberg)
- Main office: 20 W 22nd St., Suite 502, NY NY 10010 (Bloomberg)
- Core products: Venture Fund (AccelFoods)
- Area(s) served: USA (AlleyWatch)
- Founder(s): Lauren Jupiter and Jordan Gaspar (Bloomberg)
- CEO: Lauren Jupiter and Jordan Gaspar (Bloomberg)
- Website: http://www.accelfoods.com/
- Phone: N/A
- E-mail: info@accelfoods.com
- Address: 20 W 22nd St., Suite 502, NY NY 10010
Social Media
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/AccelFoods
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Accelfoods/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/accelfoods/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/accelfoods-llc
Interesting stories about AccelFoods in online media:
- Is AccelFoods’ $85 Million Fund Ushering In The Foods Of The Future? (Forbes)
- Venture Capital in the Drinks Industry: How Do Investors Make Decisions? (Drinks Insight Network)
- How This Firm Became One of the Biggest VC Funds in Food (Foodable)
- Inside the Mind of a NYC VC: Lauren Jupiter of AccelFoods (Alley Watch)
- AccelFoods on Investing on Food, Red Flags in Pitches, and CBD (Food Navigator)
- Boost for Investment Fund: AccelFoods adds Operating Partners, Eyes Key Macro Trends (Food Ingredients First)
